Trade
by deadtodd
Summary: It's only natural to expect a kiss as a reward when proving one's self. I wouldn't call it fluffy but if you squint it's completely mutual Speedy/Artemis.


**Grimmy:** _Another day, another oneshot. Although this one isn't Wally/Dick for once, lol. They actually have yet to show this character on the show, hence the lack of insight on her personality. I could have just waited for her premiere but I want to get some fics for her out, especially since there are none. :) This is the first Artemis fic in the archives folks. And while this pairing is one I've never read or written I think I like it a lot. I'll probably be writing more for it in the future and maybe even a sequel to this. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy it and I hope it inspires you to write for this pairing. :) I'd love to read it. _

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She was running. Running away at that. A scowl tugged her lips downwards as she twisted, nearly skidding too far on the wet cement, and came to a stop. In a quick second an arrow was in her hand and launched from her bow, only to be followed by two more. Not that she expected them to hit their targets. While she was confident in her archery skills she was sure that she was outmatched this time.

_'He's making me look like a fucking novice.'_

Perhaps he'd finally succumbed to his bad boy tendencies and become a villain. Or, perhaps, this was some sort of test to see if she was as good as one of the most celebrated archers at current. She really hoped it was that one. At least that way it was sort of implied that she was expected to be on, or near, the experience level of her mentor, Green Arrow. Either way she was running low on ammo and if she didn't stall for more time she wouldn't be able to get a clear shot with the few arrows she did have.

She shouldn't have been surprised when her arrows were shot down easily but her eyes did widen slightly before she turned to run. Precious seconds were lost. Had she not been on the run she would have scolded herself for wasting time. Unlike before she didn't hear echoing footsteps follow her as she jogged down the alley. Maybe... Maybe one of her arrows hit and slowed her pursuer. A girl could hope.

She slid to a stop as she approached a four way intersection. One led to a dead end, another to the streets. She still hadn't shown herself to the citizens of this city and it would be unwise to do so when the unknown was chasing her. If she was wrong and it wasn't some sort of test people might get hurt. She bit her lip and went left. It was just another shady looking alleyway but it was by far the safest route.

A figure jumped down in front of her and despite her attempt to stop she crashed into it anyways. She landed on her butt and blinked rapidly before looking up. The figure hadn't moved in the slightest and she swore. Not only was this guy built like a brick but he had her on the ground in some musty alleyway. Not good.

She reached for her bow only to discover that it was broken in half, one half in her hand, the other under his shoe. At least she thought it was a he. It could have been a very manly woman. The former seemed more favorable. A gasp escaped her lips as he stepped forward out of the darker shadows. It was indeed a he.

"You're... You're Sp-"

"You're the one they call Artemis?" His voice was stern and, dare she think it, laced with a tinge of jealousy. He extended his hand to her.

She swallowed, accepting his hand, and pulled herself to her feet. He was no Green Arrow but she'd be lying if she said he didn't go down in her list of people she admired. She'd heard the story of him leaving, along with many others from her uncle, and he was naturally the first person that came to mind when she was attacked. It made sense... Sort of. "Yes. I don't understand. Why did you attack me Speedy?"

He ignored her and mumbled something to himself that sounded suspiciously like, "They replaced me with some girl, unbelievable." But before Artemis had a chance to get mad he took her hand again and kissed the back of it. "You're talented. Tell me, what is your name." He had yet to lower her hand.

Her heart thumped behind her ribcage and she took her hand away from him, a light blush on her cheeks. What a letdown, he was one of those types of guys. Not that she expected anything from him in particular but it was a little unsettling to know that one of her role models was seemingly a womanizer.

_'Don't jump to conclusions girlie. You don't know that for sure. What if he just... likes you.' _

_'He doesn't even know you.'_

_'Just like you don't know him.'_

A small smile tugged at Artemis' lips. "What's your name?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.

He blinked rapidly behind his mask and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "I asked you first."

"I asked you second," she quipped, folding her arms across her chest and shifting most of her weight on her left leg.

Artemis could just barely make out the frown on his face but it quickly disappeared when he tilted his head back and laughed. "That's cute, really. And just why would I tell you my name?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she argued, tilting her head slightly, pointing her nose to the sky.

"Okay," he said after a brief pause and a rather agitated snort. "Tell you what, we can make a trade. My name for your's _and_ I'll even toss in," he paused and leaned closer to her, "a kiss."

Before she could stop herself Artemis let out a rather high pitched laugh. Upon hearing his angry growl her laughter died down. "I'm sorry but how exactly is that a fair trade? My identity for yours and, my first kis-"

He was kissing her. His frustration was obvious, he was squeezing her arms entirely too tight when he yanked her close. But other than that... It was certainly nice. She had a feeling that if she'd been expecting the sudden action, or if her rage hadn't been telling her to knee him between the legs, it would have been a lot better. But he'd already pulled away.

"You... You... You jerk. You jackass! You stole my first kiss!"

Speedy arched a single eyebrow and placed his hand on his chin in thought. "Yeah. It seems I did." He turned away from her and began to walk off back down the alley. "And just a side note, I'm Red Arrow now. Not Speedy. I'm no one's sidekick."

_'Did he really just...?'_

Artemis frowned, controlling her anger surprisingly well as she rubbed the back of her hand over her mouth. But no matter how hard she rubbed, her lips still tingled. Next time she ran into him she would be sure to give him a hell of a butt kicking. He'd left her feeling very confused, and not as truly angry as she should have been.

**Grimmy:**_ Am I the only one who likes Speedy? All my friends hate him but he's always been a favorite of mine. Oh wellz. Anyways, I'd appreciate it dearly if you all reviewed and told me your thoughts. :) I do always reply to a review. _

_Also, I remember reading somewhere that Artemis is Green Arrow's niece and that she's fifteen. I don't think she and Speedy have met before, but I might be wrong. Anyone catch that slight jealousy over 'tharr'? While I'm almost certain that he wouldn't want to participate in Young Justice, I don't think he'd be too thrilled at having a replacement. And in case you're wondering, in the comics, if I'm not getting this wrong, Speedy goes solo and becomes Red Arrow. A bit of a manskank too, but I'm pretty sure he was already one of those. But that's okay, I like Skanky Speedy, haha. _

_Totally unrelated here but does Miss Martian come off as Mary Sue-ish? Because so far, in my opinion anyways, she does. I honestly can't stand her already. _


End file.
